Selected quad for the lemma: virtue_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
virtue_n	join_v	patience_n	temperance_n	804	5	11.2651	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10018	Sermons preached before his Maiestie; and vpon other speciall occasions viz. 1 The pillar and ground of truth. 2 The new life. 3 A sensible demonstration of the Deity. 4 Exact walking. 5 Samuels support of sorrowfull sinners. By the late faithfull and worthy minister of Iesus Christ, Iohn Preston Dr. in Diuinity, chaplaine in ordinary to his Maiesty, master of Emmanuel College in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher of Lincolnes Inne.	Preston, John, 1587-1628.; Goodwin, Thomas, 1600-1680.; Ball, Thomas, 1589 or 90-1659.	1630 (1630)	STC 20270; ESTC S120145	80,456	162

much short of that which belongs to a Christian of that which belongs to a man as he stands in relation to God as hee stands in reference to eternity as the other actions are to other men and you shall finde they are occupied in the same manner looke vpon the imploiments of men if wee could see what they are bufie about what their thoughts and liues are taken vp with in the morning if we could see them as God seeth them and beholds them wee should see they doe as mad men as a man that makes a garland to himselfe composed of such vanity as he is most fancied with Consider therefore what you doe Walke exactly not as fooles but as wise So much for that The maine point is that we now come to Walke exactly Consider therefore that you walke exactly whence we will deliuer this Doctrine to take the words as they lie that It is required of a Christian that he walke with God exactly in all things Before I come to prosecute this point I will shew what this walking is and what it is to walke exactly In a word by walking nothing else is meant but the tract and course of a mans life so that to walke holily is nothing else but in all the passages and turnings of a mans conuersation to keepe himselfe close to the rule so that into what circumstance soeuer he is cast stil as a Dye to fall right whether he be alone or in company whether he be in sport or in businesse whether he be among enemies or among friends all is one his conuersation is still of the same colour he keeps one tenure what condition soeuer he is in in crosses and aduersity he is taught to wait in prosperity he knowes how to abound to behaue him selfe as a Christian in any particular action whether it bee gaine or losse to him whether hee bee in a pleasant estate or whomsoeuer he hath reference to whether it be for his aduantage or disaduantage all is one he doth not shift he doth not dawbe it out by seeking inuentions that afterwards will fall off as vntempered morter his conscience puts it to him and tells him this is not to be done and he is willing to let his conscience speake he is ready to obey it when a man thus behaues himselfe in the constant course of his life this is to walke exactly But then againe there is somewhat in this word Exact the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comes of two words that signifie to goe to the extremity of a thing so to walke exactly is nothing else but so to keepe the Commandements of God that a man goes to the vtmost of them to all the rules that he prescribes not onely to content himselfe to doe the maine duties of them but you must looke to euery particle of them to bee willing to goe to the vtmost of euery command so the scope of the Apostle is to commend vnto vs here the thing that is so disgraced in the world the which is a matter of much obloquie that same exactnesse or precisenesse for so the word may as well be translated and there is no word that fits the Greeke better than this Consider that you walke precisely or exactly or strictly in all things I say that is the Apostles scope to commend this to vs that men discommend so much though indeed it be the only excellency of a Christian for is not that the best glasse that shewes the smallest spots and is not that the brightest light that shewes the least moats and doe you not reckon that the finest flesh that is sensible of the least pricking so the conscience that is sensible of the least sin or failing is the perfection of Christianity which wee are to striue to attaine it is that which we are to reckon the greatest excellency of all others so far it should be from disgrace with vs. To walke exactly is required of euery one and this exactnesse is to goe to the vtmost but a little more particularly to describe it to walke exactly requires these three conditions First looke to the whole rule he that looks but to a part shall neuer doe a businesse exactly but imperfectly and bunglingly that is you must haue respect to all the commandements to all the precepts that runne thorow the booke of God Secondly hee must goe to the vtmost of euery one we see our Sauiour in Mat. 5. hee sets it downe it is not enough for a man not to murder but he must not be angry with his brother vnaduisedly there is the extremity of the command he must not onely take care of the maine but to keepe the least so he saith that a man should not onely not sweare great oathes or not forsweare himselfe but let your yea be yea and your nay nay saith our Sauiour in the same Chapter And so for that command Thou shalt not commit adultery I giue you the instances in that Chapter because Christ giues them vpon the same occasion saith he he that breaks the least commandement he that doth not keepe euery iot of the command he shall not come to Heauen As for that command of Adultery though thou keepe the maine if thou lust in thy heart that is if a man admit lasciuious thoughts adulterous lustfull thoughts though he keepe the maine Commandement the maine duty which is there commanded yet he walks not exactly there is a necessity laid vpon him Hee that keepes not euery iot of the command shall not enter into Heauen so that you must haue respect to the whole rule and to euery particular command And lastly you must doe it at all times Psal. 106. vers vlt. Blessed is hee that doth iustice and loues righteousnesse at all times otherwise a man cannot be exact he that doth it by fits and flashes that walkes exactly one day and is out againe another this man is said not to walke exactly he walks with God by fits as he that lookes to halfe the rule he walls but by halues if either of these be that he walks but by halues or by fits he is not exact thus much shall bee said for the explication Now this exactnesse is required in three respects First in respect of a mans person that hee bee clothed with all the graces of the spirit that there be none wanting there must bee a generality in that and therefore in 2 Pet. 1. we see the graces are put together Giue all diligence that you ioyne with vertue faith with faith knowledge with knowledge temperance with temperance patience c. that is as if he should say a Christian must not bee adorned with some graces of the spirit onely but hee must haue euery one he must be exact he must haue the whole clothing the whole Image of God for the Image of God is nothing else but the happy cluster of these graces

now put the case that any of these be wanting then you shall see what a defect it will cause if a man haue faith if hee want vertue that is if his faith shew not it selfe in workes if it be not a working vertuall faith what will his faith profit him If he be zealous and ready to the worke if there be vertue in him if he want knowledge to guide and direct him and turne him hee must needs erre exceedingly and therefore he must ioyne to vertue knowledge if he haue knowledge that he know what to doe if there doe not come in the practice of other graces if he be intemperate it will lie as a blot vpon him there will be great inconcinnity in his carriage if he haue other vertues and want one suppose if he be temperate yet if he be an impatient man this becomes not one of those vpon whom Gods Name is called it becomes a Christian to haue his person adorned with euery grace because God requires so much beauty in him in Cant. 4. 7. saith Christ to his Church Thou art all faire my loue there is no spot in thee that is thou art adorned with all the graces of the spirit there is not one wanting for there is such a generality required such is the beauty of a man in Christ the whole frame of grace is in him therefore Christ is said to worke grace for grace the meaning is for euery grace in himselfe he hath stamped another in vs as the seale giues print for print in the wax character for character and as the father to the sonne limbe for limbe and member for member so Christ to his Saints hee workes grace for grace that is as hee himselfe hath the whole frame of grace in his owne heart as the Image of God is perfect in him so all that he changeth all that are borne of him not of the will of the flesh but of the will of God they haue the same that he hath not in degree no childe hath his members in the same degree as the father hath hee hath them as a childe the other hath them as a perfect man so euery Christian hath them in the degree of a childe and yet he must be exact in all in respect of his person Secondly this exactnesse is required in regard of his actions all the actions that the holy man hath to doe are to be exact therefore it is a rule of the Schoolemen an action cannot be good except all be good in it except all the circumstances be good if there be one wanting the action is euill this is required of necessity to walke exactly that is take any action we doe if either the principle of it be not good that it comes from carnall feare or from carnall loue and desire or else the end is not good or the circumstances are not good to pray and not to pray feruently to shew mercy and not with cheerefulnesse to keepe the Sabbath and not with delight and and so you may runne thorow what particulars you will the wanting of any of these circumstances makes it an euill action and therfore in regard of his actions he must be exact Thirdly in regard of others it is necessary that he walke exactly as in Iames 1. This is pure religion and vndefiled to keepe a mans selfe vnspotted of the world now if a man will be vnspotted of the world hee must bee exact in all things if hee faile but a little the world will blot him and blaze his name all ouer that no place shall be empty of it if there bee any spot in him It is true the applause of the world is not to be greedily looked for but yet in this case euery Christian should be like Absalom there should be no blemish in him from top to toe he should labour to bee so blamelesse in all his conuersation to doe as Zachary and Elizabeth to walke in all the Commandements without reproofe so that a Christian in regard of his person in regard of his actions in regard of others hee must walke exactly But now in this point that I haue deliuered there is somewhat more than this it is required I say of euery Christian that hee walke exactly before God in all things here comes in a question or obiection when I say it is required of them the question is now whether it be of necessity or no that it be so laid vpon euery Christian that they cannot keepe in good termes with God that they can haue no assurance of their owne good estate except they doe it whether it be laid vpon them of such necessity or no to keepe such exactnesse in their conuersation To this I answer this precept as well as any in the Booke of God is to be kept Euangelically though we cannot keepe it Legally that is we must endeuour to the vtmost of our power to doe it to striue with all our might wee must intend and desire and purpose to doe it and we must haue endeuours answerable to our purposes this necessity lies vpon euery man to walke exactly that is to allow himselfe in nothing that is a knowne sinne there may be many failings out of passion a man may be transported out of incogitancy out of inaduertancy because many things passe from him that he is not able to consider of but let it come to this case to be a knowne sinne if he allow himselfe in it this is a breach of the Euangelicall keeping of this Commandement which requires that a man walke exactly and this lies vpon euery one of necessity that hee doe not admit of any knowne sinne in his conuersation but in that respect to walke exactly and that will bee manifested by these reasons First if there be but one thing in your conuersation pitch where you will be it greater or smaller if it come to be a knowne sinne if it be reuealed that you know such a thing is a duty or such a thing is a sinne now if a man walke not exactly in that hee makes a breach betweene God and him as it is with two friends if there come but a small matter wherein they differ that falling betweene them if neither of them yeeld it makes an vtter breach and separation betweene them so let it be a matter of lesse moment take the least sinne or the neglect of the least duty yet when I know this thing God requires at my hands it is a thing that God will haue done when a man now lies in the contrary and will not doe it certainly God will not yeeld and if hee doe not it makes a breach betweene them it makes a separation betweene God and him As it is with a Prince if hee command a man to doe any thing when he proclaimes it when there is authority put vpon it when it is made knowne to him in particular the standing out makes